Frederic W. Root occupied a prominent place in Chicago's nineteenth-century music scene, along with his father George F. Root, one of the city's best-known music publishers. Frederic Root was most famous, however, as a conductor, composer, arranger, impresario, writer, lecturer, organist, and teacher of music, especially vocal music. He was a favorite of Chicago's elite who wanted their children to achieve basic musical skills and appreciation. He would come from his home in Hyde Park or his office in the Loop to give lessons in family homes on Prairie Avenue and elsewhere. His students regularly performed in musicales for neighbors and in more public recitals that brought students together from throughout the city.